Heat-treating apparatus



y 1945- H. E. SOMES 2,376,5 16

' HEAT TREATING APPARATUS Original Filed May 10, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Howard ESomes l I Q I I imin v BY 02. 59 I ATTORNEY May 22,1945! HIE. SOMES 2,376,516 HEAT .TREAT ING APPQRATUS Original Filed May 10,1 1941 s SheerLs-Sheet 2 *PXGTZ 1 N VEN TOR +1Qu c1rd E- Somes ATTORNEY May 22, H. E. SOMES HEAT TREATING APPARATUS Origi nal Filed May 10, 1941 s Shets-Sheet a INVENTOR I *Homardf- So e ATTORNEY for actuating the same and Patented May 22, 1945 1 HEAT-TREATING APPARATUS Howard E. smegma-ea, Mich.,. as slgnor to Budd Induction new Inc., Philadelphia,

' Pas, a corporation of Michigan Original application May 10, 1941, Serial No. 392,867. Divided and this application October 27,1943, Serial No. 507,817 l 3 Claims.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 392,867, tiled May 10, 1941, for Heat treating apparatus.

The present invention relates to quenching apparatus; more particularly to quenching apparatus suitable for use in heat treating apparatus of the character having an electromagnetic induction heating head wherein aquenching head is brought substantially into end engagement with the heating head and wherein a hollow cylindrical workpiece is progressively moved in surrounding relation with respect to the heat ing and quenching heads for internal heat treatment.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a heat treating apparatus with a quenching apparatus which is axially movable into operative relation with respect to a heating head and is provided with improved means supplying the same with quenching fluid.

Another object is to provide a quenching mechanism in association with a surrounding work feeding mechanism in which improved means is provided for the drainage of quenching fluid.

With the above and other objects in view the present invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described. with reference to the accompanying drawings and then claimed.

In the drawings which illustrate a suitable embodiment of the invention,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the heat treating apparatus;

Figure 2 is a vertical section of the apparatus of Figure 1 showing the operative parts in de-' tail:

Figures 3 and 4 are transverse sections taken on the lines 3-3 and 4-4 respectively of Figure 2; I

Figure 5 is schematic view of the hydraulic system and the system for supplying the quenching head with quenching fluid. I

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views, the heat treating apparatus comprises in general arigid uprightfr'ame lll having a pair of spaced vertically extending rods H and i2 secured at their ends thereto through upper clamping members I and lower clamping members 14. The rods extend through the upper clamping members I3 and are connected together by a cross member I! to support the housing I! of a transformer (not shown) and to support the conducting arbor] I for the induction heating head It (see Fig. 2).

' Slidably mounted on the rods II and I2 is av carriage ll' (shown in Figure 1 in its uppermost,

position) ,which is provided a lower connecting member 20, an intermediate connecting member 2| and an upper connecting member 22. The lower connecting member 20 supports a lower rotatable work holding fixture 23 which is rotated by a motor 24 secured to the member 20. The intermediate connecting member 2| supports an upper rotatable work holding fixture 25 which isreciprocably supported thereon and adapted to be rotated by a motor 26.

The lower portion of the frame In is provided with a bracket. 21 between the side rods H and i2, whichbracket supports the quenching mechanism 28.

Referring to Figure 2 it will be seen that rods II and I2 are each composed of two parts connected together by an enlarged piston 29 and that the carriage l9 embodies elongated sleeves 3,0 to which the cross members 20 and 2| are rigidly connected and which surround the rods H and pistons 29, the ends of the sleeves being provided with packed fluid-tight heads 3i surrounding the rods II and 12 for sliding engagement. The pistons 29 are provided with passages 32 am ss, the passage 32 for each piston being connected with a supply conduit 34 and opening into the sleeve space at the upper side of the piston, and the passage 33 for eachpiston being connected with a supply conduit 35 and opening into the sleeve space at the lower side of the piston as shown in Figure 2. These conduits extend longitudinally through the lower ends of rods II and I2, and are connected to a suitable source of fluid supply. The rods and sleeves just described provide fluid motors for actuating the carriage upwardly and' downwardly'.

The lower cross member 20- which connects The gear 39 is meshed with a pinion 40 v(Figure- 4) driven by the motor 24.

The1ower--chuck.iixture .23 is secured to the an annular chuck 42 coaxial with-the sleeve 38, the chuck'being arranged to yieldably grip the lower end of a cylindrical, hollow workpiece,

sleeve for rotation therewith and includes an annular bowl or splash guard 4|- which supports.

such as the cylinder 43 shown in Figure 2. The chuck 42 forms the subject matter of my copending application Serial No. 336,130, filed May 20, 1940.

The upper chuck fixture 25 embodies an annular member 44 which rotatably supports an annular sleeve 45 through the medium of antifriction bearings 46. The sleeve 45 supports the annular upper chuck 41 which is of the same character as the lower chuck 42 and which is arranged to resiliently grip the upper end of the workpiece or cylinder at. The sleeve s is providcd with a gear 98 arranged to be driven by a pinion from the motor 26 which is mounted on the annular member 4t. Also secured to the annular member 59 is an annular splash guard 49 which surrounds the upper chuck 51.

The upper chuck fixture is reciprocably supported through the medium of upright rods 59 having pistons 5| at their upper ends, which pistons are arranged within cylinders 52 provided in the upper cross member 2I. The cross member 2I is provided with upper and lower fluid passages 53 and 54, respectively, leading to the opposite ends of the cylinders at opposite sides of the pistons 5| and connected with a suitable source of fluid pressure. It is seen that by admitting fiuid through the upper passages 53, the pistons will move the chuck fixture downwardly into the workpiece engaging position shown in Figure 2.

It is to be noted that the annular chucks 42 and 41 are coaxial with the heating head I8 and arbor I! so that when the carriage is moved upwardly to the position shown in Figure 2 the head will be surrounded by the workpiece 43.

The quenching apparatus embodies a tubular rod 55 having the quenching head 56 mounted thereon at the upper end. The quenching head is shown in Figure 2 as being coaxial with and in abutting engagement with the inducing head I8. Since in order to place the workpiece in position in the chucks, the heating and quenching heads must be separable from one another, provision is made for elevating the quenching head 56 into the position shown in Figure 2 and retracting it to a lower position, it being understood that in Figure 2 the carriage I9 is in its uppermost position ready for the start of the heating and quenching operation and that in the loading and unloading position the carriage is lowered to a point where the upper chuck 41 is below the bottom of the heating head I 8. In order to raise and lower the rod 55 a cylinder 51 having upper and lower heads 58 and 59 is supported from the bracket 21 by the upper head 56.

The cylinder 51 is threaded into the upper head 58 and telescopes with a sleeve or skirt extension 60 thereof. The quench rod 55 extends through the upper head 58 in sealed sliding engagement therewith and suitably connected with the piston 6| reciprocably mounted within the cylinder 51, the piston having closed-end passage 62 therein forming an extension of the passage 63 through the quench rod 55. The upper head 58 is provided with a port 64 having a fluid conduit 65 and thelower head 59 is provided with a port 66 provided with a fluid conduit 67. The admission of fluid to either one or the other of these conduits will move the piston BI and quench rod 55 upwardly or downwardly, as the case may be.

In order to provide for the supply of quenching fluid to the quenching head 56, the piston BI is so constructed and arranged as to act as a slide,

valve to the end that the quench head when in its elevated position shown in Figure 2 may be supplied with quenching fluid through passage 62 of rod 55. The piston 6| is provided with a central circumferential groove 68 adapted to cooperate with a series of ports 69 in the wall of and at the upper end of the cylinder 51, the ports connecting with an internal annular passage III in the skirt to of the upper head 58 so as to provide a passage to the circumferential groove 68 in the piston 6! from a supply conduit ll connecting with groove or passage 79. The central groove 65 is connected with the passage 62 in piston 6i through radial ports 12. The piston ti thus when it reaches its upper position uncovers the ports 69 for the supply of quenching fluid to the quenching head 55 only permitting such supply when the quenching head is in its elevated position.

In order to provide for the drainage of quenching fluid supplied within the workpiece $3 from the quenching head 56, the rotatable sleeve 38 of the lower chuck fixture is considerably larger in diameter than the quench rod 55 to provide an adequate drain passage 73 to a chamber 14 provided by an upwardly extending annular wall 15 formed in the annular motor support I5 which is secured to the cross member 29, the wall 15 telescoping with the sleeve 33 in sealed running engagement therewith. Secured to the member 16 in surrounding sealed sliding engagement with the quench rod 55 is an annular member 11 having a chamber 18 therein to which a discharge conduit 19 is connected. Quenching fluid thus flows from the workpiece through passage I3 and chambers I4 and 78 into the discharge conduit I9.

A port 80 is provided in the splash guard 4| and arranged to be closed by a ball valve iii pcsitioned in a radial portion of the port so that during rotation of the fixture 23 the ball valve 8| through centrifugal force maintains the port 80 closed to prevent discharging quenching fluid in passage I3 from gaining access to the chamber within the splash guard, and when rotation of the fixture has ceased to permit any quenching fluid which has accumulated within the splash guard 4i through leakage between the chuck 42 and the workpiece 43 to drain into drain passage 13 through port 80 past the ball valve BI.

Referring to the schematic layout of Figure 5, the quenching fluid, such as water, is taken from a water line 99 after passing through a filter I00 and thence through conduit I9l from which its pressure is increased by a booster pump I02 and then supplied through the conduit II to the quench rod 55 and head 56. The same supply of quench water from line 99 and under the water main pressure is conducted through the conduit 65 to the cylinder head 58 for lowering the quenching head through the pressure exerted thereby on the piston 6| upon the release of elevating pressure against the opposite side of the piston 6|, a suitable valve I98 being included in conduit 65 for controlling the supply of water under pressure to cylinder head 58.

The quench rod 55 is elevated preferably by air under pressure from a suitable source which fiows through line I03 first through a filter I05 to the conduit 61 which leads to the cylinder head 59, the valve I05 being controlled in any suitable manner in cooperation with the valve I02 to effect raising and lowering of the quenching head 56.

In the inoperative position, as set forth in my copending application aforesaid, the carriage I9 is in its lowermost position and the quench head 56 is at the bottom of its stroke and thus widely separated from the heating head I8. Also the upper fixture 25 is at the upper end of its stroke. 4

In other words, the heating and quench heads I6 and 56 and the lower and upper fixtures 23 and 25 are in such relative positions as to afford clearance for the insertion of a workpiece in the chuck 42 of the lower fixture 23. After the workpiece is so positioned, fluid is admitted under 1. In a heat treating apparatus for internal heat treatment of tubular articles, a frame, a quenching device supported on said frame and comprising a tubular conduit and a quenching head, said conduit being adapted to deliver quenching fluid to said head, a work supporting member on said frame having an aperture therein through which said head and conduit project,

- a work supporting chuck sleeve concentric with tion is shown in Figure 2. Thereafter the carriage I9 is elevated first to its uppermost 'position (Figure '2). When the carriage reaches this uppermost position heating energy is supplied to the heating head, the booster pump I02 is started in operation to supply quenching fluid under pressure to the quenching head 56 and the motors 24 and 26 are started to rotate the upper and lower chucks and consequently the workpiece carried thereby. With the apparatus thus operating, the carriage I9 is thus started downs wardly at a uniform rate of movement relative to the heating and quenching heads, during which movement the internal surface of the workpiece is progressively heated to hardening temperature and quenched.

As soon as the upper end of the workpiece passes the heating he -d I6 the heating energy is terminated and the booster pump I02 is stopped to shut off the supply of quenching fluid also motors 24 and 26 are stopped. Thereafter the carriage movesto its lowermost position, whereupon valve I05 is actuated to shut of! the actuating pressure to cylinder 51 and valve I06 is opened to permit the pressure of the water in the main 99 to lower the quench rod 55 and quenching head 56. Fluid under pressure is then admitted through passages 54 to raise the upper chuck fixture 25 whereby the heat treated workpiece can be removed.

It is to be understood, of course, that various automatic control mechanisms, such as that described in my copending application Serial No. 392,867, aforesaid may be employed.

Various changes, obvious to those skilled in the art, may be made in the detailed construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention,'the scope of which is defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

said conduit and journalled in said supporting member, an annular chuck carried on said sleeve,

an annular splash guard carried by said sleeve in surrounding relation with respect to said chuck, means for draining said guard into said sleeve, and a fixed annular housing surrounding said sleeve and conduit in sealed engagement and having a chamber therein for receiving fluid discharged into said sleeve and an offset drain pipe for said chamber.

2. In an apparatus for heat treating the bores of tubular workpieces, vertical disposed annular means for coaxially engaging and supporting one end of a tubular workpiece, a support having a vertical opening therethrough, means rotatably supporting said annular means within said opening, a quench conducting tube concentrically supported within said annular means for discharging quenching fiuid against the bore of the workpiece supported by said annular means, means associated with said annular means for rotation therewith and forming a splash basin for receiving quenching fluid discharged from between said annular means and theworkpiece supported thereby, a passageway in said splash basin for conducting quenching fluid from said basin to within said annular means for dischargetherethrough. and valve means associated with said passageway and being responsive to centrifugal force to close said passageway during rotation of said annular means.

3. In an apparatus for heat treating metallic objects, a supporting structure, a support for supporting a workpiece to be quenched, means mounting said support on said supporting structure for rotation about a vertical axis, means for rotating said' support, means for discharging quenching fluid against a workpiece as supported by said support, a catch basin associated with said support and including an upstanding wall concentric with said support for receiving used quenching fluid, said basin having a discharge passage for quenching fiuid received thereby, and valve means associated with said passageway, said valve means in the absence of rotation of said support maintaining said passageway open and being responsive to rotation of said support to close said passageway.

HOWARD ii. son/ms. 

